Explained: GE-HAL fighter jet engine deal and road ahead

The GE F-414 engine that India would co-produce with the help of the transfer of technology from the USA powers frontline US Navy fighters such as Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet jets and also powers Swedish jet Gripen manufactured by Saab that is also on offer to India.

One of the most significant aspects of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first state visit to the United States of America has been the signing of a landmark agreement between General Electric, the manufacturer of GE F404 and F-414 engines, and India’s state-owned aircraft manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Both US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Modi hailed the landmark signing of an MoU between General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the manufacture of GE F-414 jet engines in India, for the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Light Combat Aircraft Mk 2 which is expected to take its first flight in 2026.

According to the US-India joint statement, this trailblazing initiative to manufacture F-414 engines in India will enable the greater transfer of U.S. jet engine technology than ever before. Modi and Biden expressed the commitment of their governments to work collaboratively and expeditiously to support the advancement of this unprecedented co-production and technology transfer proposal.

GE F-414 fighter jet engine

GE Aerospace, a subsidiary of US Corporation General Electric, manufactures a range of fighter jet engines that power frontline fighters in the US inventory and its ally air forces. The GE F-414 engine that India would co-produce with the help of the transfer of technology from the USA powers frontline US Navy fighters such as Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet jets and also powers Swedish jet Gripen manufactured by Saab that is also on offer to India.

It is an afterburning turbofan engine in the 22,000-pound class that has been developed from GE F404 engine that powers India’s domestically designed and manufactured light combat aircraft LCA Tejas Mk1. While GE F-404 was considered underpowered for the Tejas Mk2 as the second iteration of the fighter jet is heavier and is required to carry more weapon load.

It is not only the US and Indian military, the GE F-414 is also in use in Australia, Kuwait, South Korea and Indonesia or has been ordered by them. Though the first run of the engine took place more than 30 years ago in May 1993, this technology is still not available to India which tried to develop its own jet engine but the Kaveri jet engine programme has suffered inordinate delays and time and cost overruns, forcing the HAL to rely on foreign engine GE F-404 to power LCA Tejas.

According to the company, more than 1,600 F-414 engines have been delivered to its customers with a service record of more than 5 million flight hours.

Why does India need foreign jet engine technology?

Air power is crucial in winning a war in modern times and top-notch fighters still play a very significant role in the war. Indian scientists and engineers have been trying to develop indigenous fighter jet engines since the 1980s but they have not been successful with the Kaveri jet engine that was planned for the LCA Tejas.

In the absence of any domestically developed option, HAL opted for GE F-404 jet engines and has procured 75 GE F-404 engines. HAL has signed another order worth $716 million for 99 more F-404 engines for Tejas Mk1 fighter jets that are on order from the Indian Air Force.

French military engines manufactured by Safran

Another option before India was to either go for a Russian engine with a poor service record or try to procure an engine from France which is the second biggest arms supplier to India after its trusted all-weather ally Russia. Fighter jet engines manufactured by French aircraft engine manufacturer Safran power India’s frontline air superiority fighter Rafale which the country has acquired from France in a government-to-government deal.

While Safran is active in India for the last 50 years and works closely with HAL for the coproduction of turbine helicopter engines used in several helicopters manufactured by HAL. In July last year, Safran and HAL signed a deal for the joint development of new helicopter engines in the country.

In February this year, Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL signed a partnership agreement for the development of engines for 13-ton India’s multi-role helicopter (IMRH). However, for Tejas Mk2, US corporation GE was considered more favourable with the transfer of critical technology to India.

The road ahead

Though the deal signed by GE and HAL will require legislative approval in the USA but given the bipartisan support for India as a major defence partner in the Indo-Pacific, it is unlikely to face any major hurdle.

In fact, the USA has made an exception for India to allow it to procure an S-400 anti-ballistic missile defence system from Russia under its CAATSA law that requires the US government to impose sanctions on countries dealing with Russia and Iran.

However, it is not yet clear what kind of sensitive military technology will be transferred to India and whether it will include the technology that is being used to manage the very high temperature of a fighter jet engine.

According to experts, fighter jet engine technology is the backbone of the US military's superiority over its adversaries such as Russia and China and any transfer of such a sensitive technology to other countries reflects the confidence the US policymakers have in that country.

A variant of the engine, known as F414-GE-400, has been co-developed by General Electric and Hanwha Aerospace for the South Korean KAI KF-21 Boramae jets. South Korea is a close military ally of the USA in the Indo-Pacific region and has become a defence manufacturing powerhouse in recent decades.

South Korea also closely cooperates with India for the production of K-9 Vajra tracked howitzers that have been jointly manufactured by India’s Larsen and Toubro Group and South Korean defence company Hanwha Defense.